So I Lied...

Alright... well, I said that the next blog would be about Amsterdam and the rest of the vacation, but something else came up recently that I felt was a little more important... I bought a house!! WOOHOO!!! And here it is...

OK, actually, Robert and I bought the house together. We figured, neither of us is getting married any time soon, and we were tired of wasting money on rent so we decided to go in together to get the house. The house is in Desert Hot Springs, California (actually, technically its North Palm Springs, but the postal service says Desert Hot Springs, and I guess they would know...) Anyway, it is in a development called B Bar H Ranch, an old Movie Star and artist hangout of the 20s, 30s, and 40s. If you want to read more about its history, you can click on the title "So I Lied..." above.

So, more on the house. It, and others like it in the area, were designed by a developer and several architects from the Palm Springs area that enjoyed the Mid Century Modern style houses of Palm Springs, but wanted to create something that had the look of those old homes but was updated to reflect the modern amenities and efficiencies (Mid Century Style... with NEW Century Comfort as their website calls it). The developer bought up a bunch of land at B Bar H Ranch (he couldn't buy it all as there were already some houses in the area) and set out designing these homes. There are 5 models in the line and they are all named after popular drinks of the early century: The Belllini, The Brandy Alexander (our model), The Cosmopolitan, The Gibson, and The Manhattan.

I suppose you want to see the inside... Well, here ya go... Keep in mind, these pictures were taken before we moved in... Ok, the 2nd one isn't INSIDE, but I couldn't wait to show you the pool...

We've also already done some Home Improvement... There is a little half bathroom that was ALL white... it looked pretty institutional, see for yourself...

So, we pulled out the sink and mirror, painted halfway up the wall, installed a chair rail that we painted black, installed a new sink cabinet with modern looking glass sink and stainless faucet and hung a new mirror that matches the cabinet... It looks pretty nice now. Take a look...

Well, guess that's all for now. Just wanted you all to join me in my happiness of 1st time home ownership. Ciao!

Bonjour! Vacation 2007

I know, I know... I've been terrible about keeping this blog up to date. I will try to do better. Anyway, guess where this is?!? Give up? NO! It's not Las Vegas... Its ACTUALLY Paris! I was there over this past Christmas. It was part of my last vacation which included Christmas in Paris, some time in Amsterdam, New Year's in Prague, and then about a week in Munich. Sort of a whirlwind tour of western Europe. I decided to take my vacation over there because I was already in the UK all of last year and thought... "might as well take advantage of being on this side of the world on the company's dime..." It worked out beautifully. My last hotel over there was in Dublin, Ireland, so I flew back to London on my last night, took the Eurostar train from London to Paris through the Chunnel, and met Robert at the Hilton... YES, the PARIS Hilton (hehe...)

Paris was a blast. Although we didn't go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, we saw pretty much as much as we could in the few days we were there. We walked down the Champs-Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe and saw the CRAZY driving around the arch (which is really just a big traffic circle with a HUGE arch in the center). Of course, you can't leave Paris without seeing Moulin Rouge. it was a bit expensive, but a trip to Paris isn't complete without it. Another important thing to do in Paris, aside from all of the amazing food, is to see the Mona Lisa. Actually, with all of the hype, it really wasn't all that exciting. She is in a big room in the Louvre, surrounded by TONS of people. From Paris, we took a train to Amsterdam. It was kind of a crazy morning. I had already purchased tickets, but when we got to the train station, the guy behind the counter couldn't print them for some reason. Bottom line, we didn't get on the train using the tickets I had originally bought. We ended up having to buy a new set of tickets and take a later train... OUCH! Unexpected expenses on a vacation are NOT fun... Anyway, Amsterdam here we come...

We arrived in Amsterdam still early enough to see some of the sights that night after checking in to the hotel... yes, again the Hilton... Gotta love working for a worldwide hotel company... Well, there's not much to say about Amsterdam... Of course everyone's first thought of the city is the famous (infamous?) Red Light District and the "coffee" shops. I'm sure it goes without saying, but 2 single guys in Amsterdam? Enough said...

Next time... More from Amsterdam and the rest of the trip...

Broadway... A Little OFF Broadway...

WOW, I can't believe its been about a year since I started this blog. Who would have guessed that a year later I would be travelling for work all over the UK? Anyway, I know its been a while since my last blog entry, but... there it is!

This entry is dedicated to my latest fun in London... going to see Broadway shows. I don't know why, and didn't plan any of them, but I've seen 3 shows in about the same number of months. Not that I'm complaining, I've enjoyed each one. So, I guess I'll just start with the first one I saw here, and move through each of them. To start off, I've seen other shows in the US, so I should mention those as well. Here goes:

The first professional production I ever saw was "Chicago" of which I actually saw in... Chicago. I have since seen it again in Las Vegas. My next show was "Phantom of the Opera." I saw this one in Los Angeles. For this one, I wont spoil it in case you ever see it, but I had REALLY good seats. I'll just say that sitting close to the stage near the center of the theatre is the BEST...

Alright, then we move to "RENT." What can I say... I've seen it... Well I've lost count I guess. It is a wonderful show with an amazing soundtrack. I've been to this one in Ohio, Los Angeles, Broadway (The best), oh yeah.. Toronto, and I'm sure some other places as well. I'm going to try to catch it here in London when it comes here next month as well.

I've seen 'Hello Dolly!" in Memphis. Who would have thought that Memphis had a cultural aspect to it? Hmmm.. anyway, the hotel I happened to be at was also the hotel that the cast was staying at. The cast gave the hotel managers some tickets, and they didn't want to go, so they gave me a ticket. It was a great show in a wonderful theatre. The lead was played by Michelle Lee of "Knott's Landing" fame. She did a really good job.

I guess that brings me to London. In the past three months I've seen "Mary Poppins", "We Will Rock You", and "Mama Mia". Each of these shows were terrific. Oh yeah... there was also "Spamalot".

"Spamalot" is the Monty Python musical that brings in bits of many of their skits they have done through the years (mostly "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"). This was HILARIOUS! I couldn't stop laughing, but then again I've always liked Monty Python.

"Mary Poppins" was great as well. Really makes you fee like a kid again when they start singing "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" Forgive me if I've spelled that wrong... Everyone did a wonderful job, even the little kids in the show that played Jane and Michael Banks.

"We Will Rock You" was another bonus show. The hotel I was staying at at the time wanted to thank me for helping them (over and above my normal tasks), so they got me a ticket for this one. At first, I have to say, I wasn't really looking forward to it. I never thought of myself as a "Queen" fan, but I was WRONG! The music and the visual aspects of the show were awesome. I found that I knew EVERY song (I know.. some of you are saying "What else is new?") but anyway, I really enjoyed it.

Finally, last night (it was a bank holiday here in the UK) I decided to do something nice for myself and so I treated myself to a good seat at "Mama Mia". I've been wanting to see this one for a looooong time (really, ever since it came out) and I'm glad I finally got a chance. The music and acting were, to use a term from here, spot on! :-) So much so, I got the soundtrack. Which of course I'm listening to as I write this...

Well, I guess I'll stop for now. Sorry I didn't include any pics in this one (a little boring I know)... I promise to put some more pics up in the VERY near future. I'm also working on a video of something else I did this past weekend, but you'll have to wait for what it is. I'll just say that if there are any Beatles fans out there, you might enjoy it.

Take care everyone. I'll talk to ya soon! CHEERS!

This is too funny NOT to pass on...

This is a video from YouTube that I just couldn't resist putting on here... It is soooo funny... Plus, Natalie isn't bad to look at either (just wait for her to show up at the end)... ENJOY!

A Couple of New Links

Hey All... I just wanted to mention a couple of links on the blog (over there to the left). They are the links to Robert's albums. The first one is the one that has always been there, there was just a recent change to the cover, so this is reflecting the new cover. Also, the latest album to hit the dance clubs of the country (its even on XM Satellite Radio), is actually an EP of a song that Tom Jones popularized a while back entitled "Promise Her Anything". It turned out really well, and you can find three different mixes of the same song on the album. Just click on over to the two websites to check them out. Talk to ya all soon!

Look Kids, Big Ben... Parliament...

Or should I say, "You can fly, you can fly, you can fly!" Doesn't this look just like from the movie "Peter Pan"? Anyway, what better place to begin our journey of the UK than in Jolly 'ole London. This shot was taken from atop the newest London attraction known as the London Eye. I'll have a picture later in the blog. For now, just know that as of this month, it is the largest observation wheel in the world, not to be confused with some Ferris Wheels that are larger. It stands about 443 feet high directly on the South Bank of the River Thames and one complete revolution (one "Flight") takes approximately 30 minutes from "Takeoff" to"Landing". Anyway, back to London. So, I arrived in London to begin "supporting" the HUKI (Hilton UK and Ireland) OnQ Deployment Team. For those of you that don't know, OnQ is the Front Office System that I install for Hilton. We have been installing in the US for MANY years now, and as Hilton just recently acquired the international portion of the company back, there has been an initiative to install our system worldwide starting with the HUKI division. My first trip was to a town called Watford which is just outside of London, but I arrived about a week early to enjoy the sights and sounds of London. I stayed at a hotel near Hyde Park called the Shaftesbury Hyde Park. This hotel was very pleasant (although the room was VERY small) and was situated about a block from The Tube (London's Underground mass transit system). This was perfect as I didn't have to walk very far to catch a train. Here is a sign of one of the more "well known" Tube stations... During my time off in London, I saw many of the typical tourist attractions to include the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Baker Street (home of Sherlock Holmes), a replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Downing Street (home of the Prime Minister), Buckingham Palace (although I missed the changing of the guards), and as mentioned before, the London Eye (shown below). Oh, yeah, and of course, I couldn't leave London without taking an open-top, double decker bus tour of the city. It was pretty informative (but it was REALLY cold sitting upstairs in February). Well, I guess that's good enough for now. I'll write more tomorrow (its 2:30am here right now). Stay tuned for the next episode... Cheery-O!

Long Time No Post...

Wow... It's been a while, and lots has happened in the past 6 months. Back in February, I started travelling overseas to the UK for work. Its been GREAT! So far I've been to England, Wales, The Republic of Ireland, and currently I am in Scotland. It will be my goal to document my travels (with pictures of course) from all of these places and to attempt to give you a good feel for what I've been through. So, if you're ready, put your seatbacks and tray tables in their full, upright, and locked positions, sit back and get ready for a worldwind tour of the UK and Ireland, It should be a fun trip. Cheers!

Happy Holidays

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Holiday and to let you all know that I am thinking about you all. Although I have to be at a hotel over Christmas, I will be going home to Arizona around the 27th. Take care and have a safe and FUN Holiday! Love, Brian

An original watercolor creation by Debbie Hauter

SCUBA Diving Maui Style

WOW! This was the first time I have EVER tried this, and it was amazing. First, we had a short class (about 30 minutes) about how to do a few safety type things (what happens when the regulator falls out of your mouth, how to clear your mask, etc), then we went into this specially designed SCUBA pool, here at the hotel, for about 30 minutes. The pool is about 3 feet deep in the shallow end, and 10 feet in the deep end. We did all of the safety maneuvers in the shallow end (had to take our regulators out of our mouths, put them back in and clear them, clear our masks, transfer to a secondary regulator, etc) VERY COOL stuff... then it was down to the depths of the 10 foot end. We gradually descended to the bottom of the pool with our instructors help, releasing pressure in our ears about every foot or so (just like you do in a plane when it is descending), then, at the bottom, we swam around for about 15 minutes to get the feel of all of the equipment. Well, since this was sooooo cool (and since it certified us to go out on resort shore dives with the instructors here at this hotel), we (a co worker and I) decided to take the plunge and do the shore dive. We went right away since everything was still fresh in our minds from the pool. They took us to the beach where we put on our tanks and masks, received some last minute instructions, and then walked down to the ocean. Once in the ocean, we cleaned off our regulators (they had sand all over them from the walk to the beach), inflated our life vests (long enough to put on our flippers), then our vests were carefully deflated by our instructor as we descended below the ocean into a new world. I've been snorkeling before, but this is 100% better. you are completely surrounded by the undersea world. There were fish of all types and sizes floating by us, and as you can see from the pics, a couple of friendly creatures (including an octopus) that let me hold them... We were under water for about an hour I'd say (give or take) the whole time (from what I am told) going only to a depth of about 10 feet. I could have sworn it was deeper than that... hmmm... Anyway, I enjoyed and will never forget the experience I had. The link above (the title is the link) is to the company that conducted the lesson and shore dive. They are awesome people and very easy going. I highly recommend them if you are in Maui at the Grand Wailea Resort. The best part was that the pool portion was free for resort guests. If you like it, you can go on the shore dives with them, if you don't, you aren't out any money... GREAT VALUE!